Salerno and the Amalfi Coast
We had hoped to transit from the Aeolian Islands due east to mainland Italy, but because of wind and waves it looked like we would have but one good day for cruising. Wanting to capitalize on the weather we decided to travel north (bypassing the toe of the boot) as far as Salerno - a 24 hour transit.
Not wanting to arrive too early on the other end, we relaxed most of the morning and departed Lipari around 11am, taking a slight detour east towards Stromboli on the way. The sky was blue, the seas were calm and the volcano blew every few minutes! What could be better? It was the perfect time to fly the drone…until it wasn’t. Our drone began to malfunction almost immediately and we had to turn the boat around to retrieve it. What’s one more detour on a 24 hour transit?!?
Can we land it?
One’s view on night watch…
We’ve now made several overnight passages, and although I am more and more comfortable with them, it is not my preferred type of cruising. When I’m at the helm I like to gaze off at the horizon, observe the birds and the clouds, and watch the other vessels that are out there. Undoubtedly, to experience the sun AND the moon rise and set while at sea is quite a unique and wondrous thing. And it brings great joy every time I witness it. Still, I feel vulnerable at sea in the dark. There is a weightiness to the uncertainty. I have to persuade myself to embrace a willingness to accept this emotional risk. When I do, it brings me to a place where I begin to believe in my ability to handle challenging situations. I feel more resilient in the face of difficulties. Do I love it? No. But I recognize that I can do hard things. And that is something we all need to know about ourselves.
We set up 3 hour watches and took turns sleeping. I was graced with a waning moon during my first watch, and calm seas throughout the night. We arrived in the huge port of Salerno just before 10am the next day surrounded by RORO (roll on-roll off) cargo ships coming and going. Once situated in the marina we took a nap before going ashore to stretch our legs and get the lay of the land.
Salerno marks the southern end of the Amalfi coast, a stretch of coastline on the north side of the Salerno Gulf nestled between the Lattari Mountains and Tyrrhenian Sea. About 5 million people visit the Amalfi Coast each year to experience its picturesque historic towns, both rocky and sandy beaches, and natural hiking trails. We realized we would not have the weather necessary to gunk-hole up the Amalfi Coast in Meraki so we again rented a car for a day and made a shore excursion. We visited the towns of Maiori, Ravello, Amalfi, Praiano and Positano. The countryside is steep and rugged with communities clustered along cliffs, their terraces blending into the rock. The architecture and stonework was phenomenal. The mosaic murals and ceramic art, beyond description. Even the roadways themselves were beautiful. And then there are the lemons! The steep coastline is peppered with terraced lemon groves. Every hillside, ravine and house seemed to have lemons growing. How they manage to harvest them, hanging out over the steep terrain is beyond me.
Touring in February has it’s ups and downs. It’s winter in Italy and many, in fact most, of the tourist attractions, restaurants and cafes in the smaller towns are shuttered and closed. Construction, painting and repairs are being done in preparation for spring and the coming visitors. This means that what may in fact be a thriving, flourishing, popular destination in high season appears to be a forsaken, sleepy little village at this time of year. On the flip side, winter cruising also means that the folks we meet, the people we chat with at the market and join for meals at the only open taverna, are the local residents. They are the best people to ask questions of and have amusing stories to share (at least my interpretations and translations are). They provide a glimpse into the area and a deeper understanding of the culture than we could ever learn from a website or guidebook. These interactions are not astonishing or extraordinary but rather, fleeting and powerful. They may be as simple as a smile, or a squeeze of the hand. This effortless sharing of a positive emotion is sometimes all it takes to fill my heart with gladness!
We thoroughly enjoyed exploring these quiet, slumbering towns while imagining how different they would feel thronged with people and activity. We look forward to viewing them from the sea as we cruise by on our way north. But that is an adventure for another day.